The year started with Rep. Zachary Wyatt, a Republican, filing a resolution in the House aimed at bringing about impeachment proceedings against Judge Russell Steele for what Wyatt said were serious breaches of ethical conduct.

That resolution went nowhere in the state legislature.

Wyatt then announced in March he was seeking re-election to his seat in the Missouri House, but a month later withdrew from the race, saying he was leaving politics to use his G.I. Bill benefits and study marine biology at the University of Hawaii.

Coming out

In late April, Wyatt spoke out against the so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill, aimed to prohibit discussions of sexual orientation in schools.

A week later while delivering a statement asking members of the House to withdraw support from the bill, Wyatt said:

“I ask you to stand with me as a proud Republican, a proud veteran, and a proud gay man who wants to protect all kids, addressing bullying in our schools."

“I am not the first or last Republican to come out. I have just gotten tired of the bigotry being shown on both sides of the aisle on gay issues.”

The aftermath

Wyatt attracted media attention from across the nation, campaigned for Republicans in Massachusetts and attended an event at the White House.

In northeast Missouri, Republican Nate Walker took the GOP spot on the ballot for District 3, opposing Democrat Rebecca McClanahan. In November, Walker won convincingly, taking 57.4 percent of the votes cast.

Meanwhile, Wyatt is no longer planning to head to Hawaii, instead choosing to attend Creighton University in Nebraska. His ultimate goal is to earn a law degree and practice environmental law.